Hunter Comes West To Cal

On their biggest recruiting weekend of the season, the Bears added to their 2013 recruiting class with the commitment of big 6-1/320 Cyrpress Falls (Houston, TX) Hight School defensive tackle Jacobi Hunter.

"I'm excited to be a part of this class," said Hunter. "My trip to Cal was fantastic. It was the best trip I could've imagined.

"I've never been to California and the beauty there and the academic prestige of Cal really captivated my mind and my interest in Cal. That and the great coaching staff make it the perfect combination for me."

Hunter's journey to Cal was an interesting one, having committed to Indiana after fielding offers from Baylor, Colorado State and Louisiana Tech with current Cal special teams and inside receiver coach Mark Tommerdahl having taken point on his recruitment on Cal head coach Sonny Dykes' previous staff at La Tech.

After Hunter's position coach departed from Indiana, Hunter opened up his commitment and sought out Tommerdahl again and told him of his potential interest in Cal.

After a quick visit to Houston and a hastily-arranged flight to California, the Houston DT fount himelf in Berkeley just two days later.

"The journey was pretty complicated, actually," said Hunter.

"After a coaching change at Indiana, I called Coach Tommerdahl. They came out on Wednesday and by Friday, I was out at Cal.

An excellent student, Hunter will bring his 3.5 gpa to Cal, fitting the profile of the type of strong student athlete that Dykes and staff are looking to stock the Bears' roster with.

His trip West made a big impression on Hunter and compared to the significantly different weather and topography in Houston, it's safe to say that Hunter will be counting the days till his return to Berkeley in four months.

"The Bay Area's one of those places you just hate to leave," said Hunter. "The hills, the water, the beauty...In Houston, it's just flat, dry and hot. I loved it there."

An outgoing, gregarious sort, Hunter bonded quickly with his fellow visiting recruits and current players and is looking forward to joining the squad this summer.

"I had a great time with the players there," said Hunter, with a laugh. "Both with the committed players and the recruits. Those are my boys. I got to know them pretty well."

The 6-1/320 Hunter was a stout run-stopper with Cy Falls and got consistent penetration on his pass rush while earning district MVP in a highly-talented and competitive district in Houston.

"I had 8 sacks my senior season and around 70 tackles, maybe a bit more," said Hunter.

"I'd say this was my best season. I got district MVP and 1st team all-district.

"Somebody must've been giving me some nice PR because usually the MVP goes to quarterbacks or running backs or linebackers but I was blessed enough to win that, especially in a district like ours. It's not a walk in the park here."

Beyond reconnecting with Tommerdahl and Dykes, Hunter also got to know his future position coach and bundle of energy, Barry Sacks.

"Coach Sacks is a trip," said Hunter, with a laugh. "He's a crazy dude, lots of energy. He had me rolling the whole time. I look forward to working with him at Cal."

Stay tuned for more from many other of Cal's official visitors throughout the day.